Over the years, St. John's United Church of Georgetown and Glen Williams, Ontario have taken thoughtful steps to make its building more efficient and resilient. What began with smaller upgrades like installing LED floodlights above the chancel and in the north parking lot, grew into more significant projects, including a new metal roof on the original church and an upgraded HVAC system for the building’s addition and office areas.
One of the church’s most impactful upgrades took place in the fall of 2023. Realizing the inefficiencies of their aging steam boiler system, the church made the decision to convert to high-efficiency hot water boilers with a higher operating pressure.
“The original steam pipes, which had heated the building for decades, had corroded over time.” says Robin Allison of St. John’s United Church of Georgetown and Glen Williams
However, in April 2024, just months after the conversion, a major pipe leak was discovered in the lower storage room. Instead of delaying action, the church quickly arranged a temporary repair and pressure-tested the entire system to assess the extent of the issue. The test revealed multiple weak spots and additional leaks hidden throughout the piping. Rather than simply patching the problem, St. John saw an opportunity to strengthen the system for the long term.
Strengthening the system for the long run
In June 2024, St. John’s United Church applied to the Faithful Footprints program to help offset approximately $60,000 in hot water pipe remediation costs. Anticipating unforeseen issues, the church set aside a $10,000 contingency and planned to reduce costs by completing drywall removal, restoration, and painting in-house.
During the church’s summer shutdown, while worship took place at a neighboring church, a pipe fitter replaced all compromised sections. By July, members had exposed identified leak areas, and by August, pipe repairs were completed, the grant was approved, and drywall restoration followed
“Thanks to the help from a Faithful Footprints grant, St. John’s United was able to complete a major restoration project in our church, and upgrade our hot water pipe system which was necessary. We now have a long-term, low maintenance solution to our heating system concerns that have been ongoing for years. Completing the retrofit will help ensure comfortable conditions in our facility for years to come.” states Allison
Future projects
St. John’s United Church’s most recent renovation shows that building upgrades involve more than installing new equipment. Even when a main issue appears resolved, new challenges can emerge, requiring foresight, flexibility, and a willingness to address them head-on. Despite unexpected setbacks, the church remains committed to continuous improvement, using each project as inspiration to do more.
“Additional needs will continue to emerge, and each will be approached with energy efficiency as the top priority. We are a very active community facility and as the number of events and renters increase, we need to upgrade as much as possible to reduce daily operating costs long term. With more and more of the community coming to our building it was incumbent on us to be perceived as “green” and energy efficient.” says Allison
Next, St. John United plans to install LED lighting throughout the building, add low-speed, high-volume ceiling fans in the sanctuary, insulate the sanctuary attic, refurbish the community hall’s wood floor, and pave the north parking lot.
Faithful Footprints Program
The United Church of Canada’s Faithful Footprints program offers inspiration, tools, and grants to help its faith communities reduce their carbon footprint. With the Church’s commitment to reducing its greenhouse gasses (GHG) emissions by 80% by 2030, this one-of-a-kind program offers up to $30,000 in grants towards energy conservation and renewable energy projects (conditions apply).
Faith & the Common Good is the delivery partner for the Faithful Footprints program. To date, we have engaged over 500 congregations, camps, and buildings across the country. Your participation in the program puts your faith into action and helps the Church reach its target.